Terrebonne leaders in Washington to lobby for levee project

Published: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 10:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 10:01 p.m.

A coalition of Terrebonne Parish leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., Tuesday to lobby for a water projects bill that could help the planned $10.3 billion federal levee system known as Morganza-to-the-Gulf.

The bill, called the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, was passed by the Senate in May and is slated for House consideration this fall. It could authorize construction of Morganza and would address other prioritizes for Louisiana, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reforms.

Morganza was approved in the last Water Resources Development Act in 2007 but was kicked back for another study to bring it up to post-Katrina construction standards. The project was estimated to cost $886 million in 2007, but a draft report released in January increased that cost.

Before construction can begin, the project needs approval from the Office of Management and Budget, and a record of decision from the corps on its impact. After receiving these approvals, the project will be attached to the water resources bill, Terrebonne Levee Director Reggie Dupre said.

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet, Dupre and other local officials made Morganza’s case to members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a flurry of back to back meetings.

“All of our efforts have been focused on the House side,” Dupre said, adding that much of supporters’ work has involved explaining the intricate importance of Morganza — a system of levees, floodgates and a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal designed to protect Terrebonne and Lafourche from storm flooding — to representatives from outside the area. The project has been in development for more than 20 years.

The group spoke with congressmen representing a cross section of the country, including representatives from Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida and other states to advance the bill.

“We’ve gained the support from congressmen from outside Louisiana,” Claudet said.

Louisiana’s U.S. senators last week sent a letter to urge the director of the Office of Management and Budget to sign off on the project within the congressionally mandated 120-day review period.

“We believe your leadership is crucial to ensure compliance with the mandated timeline,” the letter says.

“While the estimated construction cost for this project has escalated from $550 million when it was first authorized in 2000 to $10.3 billion today, the Army Corps issued a favorable Chief’s Report because of the significant role this region plays in the national economy,” the letter adds.

While there’s still a long road ahead, the state is exploring using BP oil spill fines for coastal restoration work to build the lock in the Houma Navigation Canal, Dupre said. Money could also be available from offshore oil and gas revenue that will be paid back to the state for protection and restoration beginning in 2017.

According to the Corps of Engineers report, Morganza would cost an average $716 million a year to build and maintain while preventing an estimated $1 billion in annual flood-related damage. That includes construction and maintenance costs averaged over 50 years. The cost-benefit ratio is $1.40 in benefits for every $1 spent. The benefits are slightly higher than the $1.31 estimated in January. About 53,000 structures will be protected.

The latest plan adds 26 additional miles of levees to Morganza, up from 72 miles. It would extend from U.S. 90 in Gibson to La. 1 in Lockport. Morganza would include 98 miles of levees, a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal, 19 floodgates and 23 water-control structures.

Levees will be built up to 26.5 feet high, and flood-protection and water-control structures would be built more than 30 feet high. Levee widths will range from 282 feet to 725 feet, roughly one to two football fields wide.

The levee project is designed to protect against storms that have a 1-percent chance of striking in any given year, sometimes referred to as a 100-year storm.

State and local officials must come up with 35 percent of the construction cost. Their combined share is estimated between $3.6 billion and $4.5 billion. Upon completion, the state and local partners will be responsible for operation and maintenance, estimated at $7.4 million per year. The federal government will be responsible for operation and maintenance of the Houma Navigation Canal Lock at $1.7 million per year.

In the meantime, the local Levee District has moved forward with building a local version of Morganza following the federal levee’s path. The Terrebonne Levee District is building 10-foot levees and 18-foot floodgates from Gibson to Cut Off with state and local tax dollars.

<p>A coalition of Terrebonne Parish leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., Tuesday to lobby for a water projects bill that could help the planned $10.3 billion federal levee system known as Morganza-to-the-Gulf.</p><p>The bill, called the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, was passed by the Senate in May and is slated for House consideration this fall. It could authorize construction of Morganza and would address other prioritizes for Louisiana, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reforms.</p><p>Morganza was approved in the last Water Resources Development Act in 2007 but was kicked back for another study to bring it up to post-Katrina construction standards. The project was estimated to cost $886 million in 2007, but a draft report released in January increased that cost.</p><p>Before construction can begin, the project needs approval from the Office of Management and Budget, and a record of decision from the corps on its impact. After receiving these approvals, the project will be attached to the water resources bill, Terrebonne Levee Director Reggie Dupre said.</p><p>Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet, Dupre and other local officials made Morganza's case to members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a flurry of back to back meetings.</p><p>“All of our efforts have been focused on the House side,” Dupre said, adding that much of supporters' work has involved explaining the intricate importance of Morganza — a system of levees, floodgates and a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal designed to protect Terrebonne and Lafourche from storm flooding — to representatives from outside the area. The project has been in development for more than 20 years.</p><p>The group spoke with congressmen representing a cross section of the country, including representatives from Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida and other states to advance the bill.</p><p>“We've gained the support from congressmen from outside Louisiana,” Claudet said.</p><p>Louisiana's U.S. senators last week sent a letter to urge the director of the Office of Management and Budget to sign off on the project within the congressionally mandated 120-day review period.</p><p>“We believe your leadership is crucial to ensure compliance with the mandated timeline,” the letter says.</p><p>“While the estimated construction cost for this project has escalated from $550 million when it was first authorized in 2000 to $10.3 billion today, the Army Corps issued a favorable Chief's Report because of the significant role this region plays in the national economy,” the letter adds.</p><p>While there's still a long road ahead, the state is exploring using BP oil spill fines for coastal restoration work to build the lock in the Houma Navigation Canal, Dupre said. Money could also be available from offshore oil and gas revenue that will be paid back to the state for protection and restoration beginning in 2017.</p><p>According to the Corps of Engineers report, Morganza would cost an average $716 million a year to build and maintain while preventing an estimated $1 billion in annual flood-related damage. That includes construction and maintenance costs averaged over 50 years. The cost-benefit ratio is $1.40 in benefits for every $1 spent. The benefits are slightly higher than the $1.31 estimated in January. About 53,000 structures will be protected.</p><p>The latest plan adds 26 additional miles of levees to Morganza, up from 72 miles. It would extend from U.S. 90 in Gibson to La. 1 in Lockport. Morganza would include 98 miles of levees, a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal, 19 floodgates and 23 water-control structures.</p><p>Levees will be built up to 26.5 feet high, and flood-protection and water-control structures would be built more than 30 feet high. Levee widths will range from 282 feet to 725 feet, roughly one to two football fields wide.</p><p>The levee project is designed to protect against storms that have a 1-percent chance of striking in any given year, sometimes referred to as a 100-year storm.</p><p>State and local officials must come up with 35 percent of the construction cost. Their combined share is estimated between $3.6 billion and $4.5 billion. Upon completion, the state and local partners will be responsible for operation and maintenance, estimated at $7.4 million per year. The federal government will be responsible for operation and maintenance of the Houma Navigation Canal Lock at $1.7 million per year.</p><p>In the meantime, the local Levee District has moved forward with building a local version of Morganza following the federal levee's path. The Terrebonne Levee District is building 10-foot levees and 18-foot floodgates from Gibson to Cut Off with state and local tax dollars.</p>